Hire a Housekeeper

We are learning how to become more courageous in all areas of our lives during my series, Confident in God's Garden. Today, I'd like to address the benefits of hiring a housekeeper.

A clean house gives us peace of mind.
For the past several months, my responsibilities outside of my home have been growing. Someone suggested that I hire a housekeeper, and I thought the idea sounded ridiculous. Surely, I could keep up with my little cottage. It's just the two of us at home now, along with one little poodle.

As the weeks turned into months, I began to realize that the time I used to devote to cleaning was being taken up with far more important tasks. And as the dust bunnies multiplied and the piles of clutter grew taller, I began to feel overwhelmed.

What if someone dropped in for a visit? There was no way I could hide the growing mess. Worse, the disarray in the house was clouding my head. I couldn't concentrate well on my writing and other pursuits, because everywhere I turned, there was another unresolved housekeeping issue.

A breath of fresh air
My new housekeeper arrived today, and within a few hours, the house began to smell incredibly fresh. Her energy invigorated me and inspired me to clear my desk and throw away stacks of papers that had been mounting on every horizontal surface.

At the end of the day, I had accomplished more in just a few hours than I had in weeks. I parted with some of my money, but the peace of mind that the housekeeper brought was worth it.

I went out to an appointment and returned home this evening to glowing floors and the subtle scent of Murphy's Oil Soap. There is nothing sweeter than returning to a well-kept home. It provides us with a haven where we can relax and think clearly. And it prepares us for the rest we need to go back out into the world in the morning, full of confidence.

Having our spiritual house swept clean makes room for something new.
Jesus spoke to his followers about the importance of continued learning after becoming believers. We may make a clean sweep of our souls through faith in Christ, but if we don't work at maturing, we may be in danger of letting in evil things that we thought we had put behind us.

Jesus said, When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place. (Matt 12:43-44 MSG)

Maintaining our faith is similar to keeping up with our housework. It takes great effort in the beginning to whip both into shape, and each can be lost if we don't continue to look after them.

Taking care of our physical homes and our spiritual houses provides us with greater confidence. When our house is spotless, we don't worry about unexpected visitors. When we take care of our spiritual housekeeping through regular Bible reading, worship, and prayer, we don't get anxious about slipping back into old ways of living that separated us from God.

Today's Challenge
Does your house need a thorough cleaning? Does your spiritual life? Take a few minutes to consider the cleanliness of your home, as well as the cleanliness of your soul. If you need a housekeeper or a spiritual cleanse, find someone to help you get things in order.

Who Does Your Home Say You Are?

As survivors of abuse and trauma, we are learning how to become more bold during my series, Confident in God's Hands. Yesterday, we considered how we express our personalities through our clothing. Today, I'd like to address personality expression in our homes and work places.

What does our environment tell others about us?
If our houses haven't been cleaned in years, and we have papers and boxes stacked up to the ceiling and in every corner, people get a definite impression about us. They may come to the conclusion that we're hoarders, or think that we're lazy, or perhaps understand that depression may make it difficult for us to get our homes in order.

I just finished talking with a cleaning woman about working for me. Whenever a professional like this comes into my house, I wonder what she thinks about me as a homemaker. How do I stack up against all of the other home owners that she serves? Can she see beyond the clutter and dust that I do care about how my home appears?

If someone walked into your house unexpectedly right now, would you feel embarrassed or confident? If your supervisor walked into your work zone without warning, would you be frantically trying to tidy up, or would you greet him confidently?

If the way we care for our homes or work spaces shames us, we must take measures to change things. In every area of our lives, our confidence can take a hit, without our even realizing it. Creating simplicity and tidy systems of organization at home and at work can really boost our self-esteem.

God's house reveals his personality.
Bible verses and people who have had near-death experiences tell us a lot about God's home for us in heaven. The streets are paved with gold, and there is a mansion there with many rooms. Heaven's residents are at peace, and beautiful music can be heard everywhere.

Psalm 26:8 (MSG) reads, God, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory. As a believer in Christ, I know that God's home here on earth is within our hearts. But when I look around my house, I frequently wonder how Jesus would feel if he stopped by for lunch. I am fairly confident that he feels at ease within my heart most of the time, but does my environment give him reason to say that he loves living with me?

Today's Challenge
Look at your home and your work space through another's eyes. What do these places say about you? Is it time to hire someone to help you de-clutter and keep things clean? If you can't afford help, ask a friend to work together with you every week or so for an hour or two until you get your environment to express the true you.